When September Ends
by Hes Her Lobster
Summary: This is a story set in World War 2. Ross and Rachel are a young couple in love but when war hits, the couple are pulled apart. This isnt just for R&R fans either, anybody will hopefully take an interest into this story. Please take a read.
1. Prologue

_This story is set just before the second world war. The young couple, Ross and Rachel who have recently got engaged are shocked by the news of a huge invasion at the beginning of September. Will the war affect the couple? What will Rachel do if she learns Ross has to go out and fight in the army?_

_ Please bear in mind that I havent got the exact knowledge such as accurate dates and details from the war. Remember this is my story, it mightnt always stick to what really happened in the second world war._

_I will appreciate your views and thoughts of the story. Thank you. _

**When September Ends.**

25th August. 1939.

Long Island. US.

Early Autumn was approaching, filling the air with a calm breeze and a sense that the new season was soon arriving.

It was typically busy, especially for the particular time of 9.15am. The young girl waited by the cross roads, watching as the vehicles went by before she grabbed her chance to cross over to where she worked.

'Rachel!' She heard somebody behind her call, as she turned around, she was happy to see one of her friends from where she lived, 'How are you?' She asked her as Rachel greeted her with a quick rub of the arm. 'I'm very well thank you' Rachel replied…'And y---'.

'I hear you are engaged? How did you keep such a secret from one of your close friends huh?' She asked her, rolling her eyes. Rachel reassured her friend that this wasn't the case, 'I didn't keep it a secret from anybody, the only person who knows is my mother and of course my fiancé but its not big news really…-'.

'Not big news? Its brilliant news, and just in time for a beautiful autumn wedding aswell..Oh we really should get together and plan things out for the big day….I shall give you a quick call after I put the children to bed tonight'. She told her.

'That's fine Lizzy, I have to get to work now anyway…I promised I wouldn't be late'. She told her, turning around ready to find her chance to cross over the road again. 'Speak to you later..' She said, giving a wave before the two of them parted.

She hadn't particularly wanted anybody else besides family to know about the engagement, she knew marriage was a big deal and everybody would want to get them married as soon as possible, but she knew that being a wife so suddenly would have a drastic change on both of their lives, she would probably have to retire from her job and stay at home, that was what most married women did who she knew, they would stay at home with the growing family whilst their husband worked 9-5 everyday, maybe even longer hours.

She wanted to get married and have the life of a grown up, but she couldn't help but wonder if she was too young at the moment, after all, she was only the age of 18. But she loved her Ross dearly and being married to him everyday would make her very proud, but they had both agreed to keeping the engagement quiet for the moment so they wouldn't have to rush into things. Both their parents were already preparing to be grandparents and Rachel was almost sure that they had already possibly booked a hall for the wedding reception. She didn't want a big deal, it wasn't her style.

She only wanted her and Ross' love to be recognised by God, and to make her vows in front of the man she loved. They had been together and in love for almost 2 years, but they had known each other for a much longer period of time, since they were both at middle school. She could still remember the time when they were both chosen to be husband and wife in a pretend play at school, Ross had taken the part very seriously indeed. But he was a serious man, so it was expected.

'Oh Miss…'

'I told you to call me Rachel, remember?' She smiled. 'What's wrong?' she asked, placing the blue cloth down on the sink basin.

'I told you last week that I had been complaining with a bad hip, didn't I?'.

Rachel nodded.

'I just don't think I can make the walk to the school to pick up the children and I was wondering….and I know as a maid you aren't expected to do such a chore, but could you go and pick them up for me? I could pay you an extra dollar…'

'Oh. Well….I'll pick them up, that's not a problem. I just thought you wanted me to finish cleaning the kitchen this afternoon…'.

'You can still do that dear, the children don't finish school for another hour….you could do a good scrubbing in that amount of time!' She joked. 'Thank you dear…I shall go and have a wee rest'. She told her before limping out of the room.

Rachel sighed. Being a maid was good pay at times, but sometimes she just didn't enjoy having to be somebody's slave. But she had to grin and bear it, money was money, and she and Ross needed it. Even if Ross was working full time himself, they were just about coping on that income, if she stopped working then they would be very poor indeed and that was another reason why she didn't want to rush into marriage, but she didn't have much of a choice.

Resting on the cold floor, the couple laid on their fronts in front of the fire, to make themselves feel warmer from the cold weather outside. They were resting on their front, their bodies were almost symmetric as they lay with their faces towards each other and their hands clasped together on the floor. It was an image, the image painted every evening as they both arrived home from work. After their meal, they would just sit for hours gazing at one another by the fire and talk about the future. Rachel sighed as her eyes began to look at the floor, 'Ross?'. She whispered to him, it was so quiet that she didn't want to break the silence. 'Yeah?'. He replied, moving a centimetre closer to his fiancée.

'You wont….you wont leave me will you?' She asked him.

'What's brought this on Honey?' He asked, brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes.

'Nothing…just answer the question Ross'. She asked him again.

He cupped her chin in his left palm, and told her. 'I'll never leave you Rachel….'. He then stroked her rosy cheek, and kissed her cheek lightly. 'Never…'. He told her again.

She began to cry. 'I'm sorry….'

'For what?'

'For having to ask you…'. She cried again.

'Well you don't need to ask again…because I wont leave you'. He promised her again, his thumb now rubbing her cheek, stopping the tears drop from her face.

She draped her arms around him, 'I love you'.

'Oh I love you too…' He told her. Her skin felt so warm as it was pressed against his body, her tears were beginning to soak the neck of his jumper. His hand was placed against her back, he felt her breathing become calmer as she began to stop the crying. 'You ok?' He asked. She didn't say anything, but he felt her move as if to say yes, she was.

He ran his hand slowly further down her back till it reached her spine, just above her bottom. He would often find himself feeling desperate to make love to her, and to just feel every part of her body. But he couldn't, not till they got married. But the thought often slipped from his mind as his imagination began to take over. His right hand slid onto her bottom, but he didn't move it, he didn't want to alarm her. 'Ross?'. She said.

'Yeah?'.

She didn't say anything, but she tried to move his hand away from her bottom, but it wouldn't budge. 'Don't..' She told him.

So he did as she wanted, he moved his hand away and repositioned it on her back again.

'We don't have to wait long…' She reminded him.

'I know…'. He agreed. 'I just love you so much…'.

She released herself from his arms and looked up at him, 'I love you too but I don't want it to happen that way…and it shouldn't happen that way, you know that…' She told him, kissing his bottom lip softly.

'I know, I'm sorry..'.

'Don't be sorry. Just be patient …' She told him, before lifting his arm up and placing it around her to keep herself warm.


	2. Chapter 1

_Thanks to the reviews for the first chapter, I did hope to have more people read and review but I hope more of you will read this next chapter. Please review, and please enjoy!_

**1st September. **

There was a very noticeable draught in the house as Rachel woke up and began to get ready for work, she worked everyday as a maid as she had done for almost a year now .She was the only one who got up at this hour in her household as her mother worked at home and her father worked overnight, he often came home just as she was heading out of the door and would place a kiss on her head and say 'Don't work too hard'.

She had two younger sisters, Jill and Amy, who were currently at boarding school, where she had been just two years ago but now it was time for her to go out and earn for herself.

'Bye Ma'. She said, kissing her mother quickly before heading out. 'Be home for 7..' She promised.

Fifteen minutes away, Ross was also getting ready for work. Unlike Rachel, his family were much poorer, not that Rachel's family were rich or anything, but his family didn't't earn quite as much. He and his sister Monica both had to work since the age of 16. He and Monica had worked in the same factory doing different jobs for 3 years now.

'Damn its cold…' he groaned as he slipped on his fleeced jumper, and completing his work outfit with his trilby hat. 'That's me done. You coming?…' He asked his sister who was busy brushing down her long green coat. 'Yeah, I'm ready…'.

'Bye Mom…Bye Dad' They both said in chorus before walking out into the cold frost.

'Hey listen..' Ross said to his sister, 'Tonight. I'm going to be meeting Rachel after work so can you just tell mum and dad that I'll give dinner a miss for today?'

'Why don't you bring her to dinner so she can meet us?' She suggested.

'I don't know, I could ask…'.

'You should. I mean, this is the girl who your supposed to be marrying right?'.

He nodded. 'Remember, don't be telling mom and dad about that yet….I sworn you to secrecy remember'. He told her.

'I wouldn't't tell a soul. But I would like to meet my future sister in law Ross….'.

Today was a Saturday, which was her favourite day of the week. She didn't't particularly enjoy working on a Saturday because not many did unless they were working in houses or factories, but it did mean that she had the next day off. Sundays were the days she had to spend with Ross, they would often go to church or go for a walk in the meadows and talk about the future. The only thing she dreaded was going their separate ways every evening, it was one thing that she would change about her life, she had wanted to live with Ross now for a few months but it was another thing that wasn't allowed, until marriage anyway.

As she folded the towels and clothes, she listened to the radio which was in the corner of the room, she was trying her best to focus on her work but couldn't't help but want to concentrate on the news bulletin. The volume was quite low on the radio but she could have sworn that she had heard something about an invasion in Poland. She stopped folding the clothes and walked closer to the radio and quickly turned it up a tad, " It has been confirmed that Germany have invaded Poland this morning….without any warning at all, we are yet again going to have the worry of yet another world war"'.

She continued to listen inventively to the radio, she could hardly believe what she was hearing. She had always heard things about the first world war and that frightened her to death, but now she was hearing that they would be having another world war, and she would be there this time to witness it.

'Gellar?'.

'Yeah?'.

'I assume that you have heard about the news this morning about the invasion on Poland and I--'.

'What?' Ross asked, 'What invasion?'.

'Oh. So you haven't heard…' His manager realised. 'Ok well….we are to believe that the world is going to go at war again, its not looking good so I'm letting you all go home early…'.

'Oh. Thanks…well I better go then'. He said, looking slightly alarmed.

Ross put on his jacket and hurried out of the factory, not forgetting to get Monica from her workplace. 'What's happened?. Monica asked him as he dragged her quickly home, 'I'll tell you when we get home…'.

She stayed quiet as she was taken home by her older brother, she listened to people passing by talking about things she could only pick up certain words from, 'Is everything going to be ok?' She asked again.

Ross didn't't say anything.

'Ross?'

'I…I'm not sure. But we need to get home….'. He said, crossing the road with her hand in hand where they finally reached home.

Ross sat with his family as they all listened to the latest news about the invasion, 'What do you think will happen Dad?' Ross asked his father .

'I don't know Son.'.

Ross knew he was lying, he did know but he just didn't't want to startle his children which was understandable but Ross knew that something was very wrong, and he knew things would probably get worse. 'Do you think this will carry on Mom?' He asked his mother this time, who was sat holding her husbands hand.

'I'm not too sure Ross. Lets hope not…' She said to him.

He stood for a moment, listening to the news report. 'Hundreds of men have already been sent out to fight….This is turning into the second war we have seen'.

He noticed his mum look at his father Jack, she looked like she was about to cry. 'Do you think we'll get involved too?'. He asked them. They both shook their head, 'Like I said son…lets hope not'. Judy told him.

Monica was sat on the carpet, listening to the radio with sad eyes. She was 17 years of age, she didn't't have any idea what to do or say, she was still a kid. 'Mon, Do you want to come with me?' Ross asked his sister, 'I'm going to go get some dinner…'.

She shook her head. 'I'll stay here…' She told him. 'I want to listen to what happens…'

He nodded. ' I'm just going to get out for a while…Do you want anything?'. He asked his parents, but they didn't answer.

'Be back later…'. He told them before rushing out of the room, in desperation for fresh air and somebody to talk to.

Rachel sat with her legs crossed, her mother was cooking dinner and her father was busy listening to the radio like he had been doing for 3 hours now, 'Daddy?. When was the first war?' She asked him.

'The early 1900's…' He told her.

'Do you think this will be like that?'. She asked.

'Maybe…'.

She nodded. 'Ok Daddy'.

It seemed like everybody was in their own little world as she looked around, her mother was cutting carrots on the side but her mind was elsewhere, and her father was practically inside the radio. 'I'm going to go call Ross…' She told them.

As she left the room, she walked into the hallway. She wondered if maybe this would be another war, she wasn't sure what to expect but she knew that the first war was a terrible time, this one could be even worse. There was a knock at the door, so she quickly went to answer it.

'Ross?'

He was stood there on her step, 'I wanted to see you. My whole family are going crazy at home…I needed some air.' He told her, ' Do you want to come for a walk?'.

'Umm. I…'. She looked into the sitting room where her father was sat, they probably wouldn't't even notice she was gone. 'Ok..' She told him, picking up her coat before closing the door behind him.

'Where are we going?' She asked.

'Somewhere peaceful…'

'We cant go far though…' She reminded him. 'I cant stay out long…'.

'No. I know that…I cant either, but I need to be with you'.

She smiled, 'Lets go to our favourite place then..' She suggested.


End file.
